An Unexpected Relationship
by Intellectual Ambassador
Summary: Spencer and Caleb's journey from friends to close friends to lovers. Going from Madrid all the way to 6x20 and beyond. Please R&R. Currently In-Progress.
1. Chapter 1 - Madrid

A Journey of the Heart

Chapter 1 - Madrid

Spencer Hastings wasn't one to be derailed easily. She had always been a very focused individual. Driven by her desire for her parent's approval and personal goals, Spencer was easily the biggest overachiever she knew.

 _4.0 across the board._

 _Highly active in the community._

 _Joined any and every club that would help her portfolio._

Being independent was Spencer's biggest achievement. At least it was in her eyes. Going through multiple relationships had shown Spencer that she was in a best position when she didn't have to rely on anyone. And she thought this to be true. Until she met him. Or, well, re-met him.

 ** _Caleb Rivers._**

A man who never found himself in one place for too long.

The world was too big. _He wanted to explore all of it._ That's what he told himself every time he travelled to a different city.

Spencer and Caleb's relationship is a bit… complex. They had met many years ago during a more complicated time of their lives. Caleb had been with one of Spencer's best friends, Hanna for a very long time. They grew together. They loved each other. They were inseparable.

Like any couple, they had their difficulties. Unfortunately for them, their differences had caused them to separate. Hanna had decided to stay in New York while Caleb pursued his unquenchable thirst for travel.

While travelling, Caleb's mind had been racked with doubt over his decision to leave Hanna. He had replayed the scene in his mind multiple times. And every time he replays it, he's always hurt by the fact that Hanna had left and chosen her work over him.

So, Caleb decided to move on. Which is why he finds himself on at a train station in Salamanca, waiting for his next destination. The locals were speeding past him, hurrying to whatever place awaited them. Caleb found travelling to be exhilarating. The excitement of the unknown pleasures in the world drew Caleb in. As Caleb revelled in the enjoyment of the present, and ignored the pain of the past, he was thrown out of his thoughts by the sight of an old friend.

 ** _Spencer Hastings._**

An intelligent and quick-witted woman.

A force to be reckoned with.

 _What was she doing here?_ Caleb thought to himself. But before he could deduce what she was doing in Salamanca, his feet had already moved to the end of his platform and her name had escaped his lips.

"Spence?!" Caleb shouted across the platform.

Turning around, Spencer's initial surprise was quickly replaced with a bubbling smile of familiarity. Running to the stairs, Caleb and Spencer embraced in a quick hug before catching up after years of not seeing each other.

"Funny running into you here, Spencer. Of all the places I thought you would be, Salamanca isn't one of them." Caleb said joyfully. He was genuinely excited to see her, even though she reminded him of what he left behind.

"Yeah, no kidding. It's nice to see you here. Wow, it's been at least a few years since we've seen each other!"

"Definitely. So… what brings you to this side of the world anyways? Trying to conquer a new language? Save the poor and innocent?"

"Ha-Ha. No, I'm just finishing up my year abroad actually. I was planning on heading back to Rosewood, and then maybe go to Washington after. What about you, stranger?"

"Ah, right. Hanna-um she-uh told me that you were studying overseas." Caleb responded, inwardly cursing himself for his slipups.

Noticing Caleb's awkwardness when he brought up Hanna, Spencer wondered if there was anything going on between them. She knew that they weren't always getting along from Hanna's brief text messages that she sent every so often. However, Spencer didn't feel that it was the best time to inquire about their relationship. Instead, she decided to make a mental note of this and ask him about it later.

"Well, Mr. Rivers. I have officially missed my train!"

"Same. Well since we're both here, wanna go and explore Madrid?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Spencer followed Caleb back into the heart of Madrid. During her year abroad, Spencer had been so focused on doing well that she didn't get many opportunities to explore Madrid like she would have liked. She really didn't have to be back in Rosewood for at least another two weeks, so she figured it would be an end-of-semester gift for herself to travel for a few more days.

Caleb and Spencer had non-stop adventures since they decided to stay in Madrid. Spencer was incredibly thankful that Caleb was such an amazing tour guide. He knew his was around Madrid like he had lived there for years. Coupled with Spencer's decently fluent Spanish, they made a powerful team.

In the two weeks that they had been together they managed to go to the parliament building, head down to the beaches numerous times, explore the old historic buildings that Madrid had, take a tour of Spencer's university, visit and meet some of the locals, and go see a bull fight at the arena.

To say that Spencer Hastings wasn't impressed at the bull fight was an understatement. Spencer had always been an advocate for the fair treatment of animals. So for her to see these bulls whipped and pulled to and fro was a culture shock, to say the least.

"Savages!" Spencer yelled as the bull fight progressed. Caleb was mildly entertained at the sight of Spencer Hastings, preppy small town girl, jumping out of her seat to yell at the drunk crowd. Caleb had only wished that he hadn't left his phone back in New York so he could capture this once in a lifetime moment.

After the bull fight was over, Spencer was still incredibly upset. She was barely speaking which was slightly alarming to Caleb. Of all the time they spent together, Caleb knew Spencer to be quite the talkative one.

Wanting to make sure that Spencer was okay, Caleb turned around and nudged her gently in the arm.

"Hey Spence… you alright?" Caleb asked softly. Unbeknownst to him, Spencer had started sniffling, trying to hold back her tears of frustration.

"Hey-Hey… Spence, maybe a bull-fight wasn't the best idea. But it'll be okay, I promise" Caleb said sweetly while holding on to her shoulders and looking at her square in the face. Although he should have been focused on comforting Spencer, Caleb had been slightly taken aback by Spencer's beauty. She had this refined, mature quality to her features that Caleb had never noticed before. Spending time in a foreign city had really drawn them closer to each other. Caleb hadn't really given it much thought, but him and Spencer and really grown close over the past two weeks.

Thrown out of his musings by more sniffling, Caleb didn't want to have to see Spencer crying in the middle of the street so he thought of an idea to make Spencer feel better.

"Hey Spence, I'm real sorry that you got so worked up. But, I think I can make it up to you."

Spencer gave him a less-than-enthusiastic glare to which Caleb shot up his hands in rebuttal.

"No more bull-fights, I promise."

At that, Spencer smiled weakly and Caleb smiled back, leading her to an unknown destination.

Picking up two bottles of Sangria along the way to their destination, Spencer wondered where Caleb was taking her. As they were walking to their destination, Spencer glanced at Caleb every couple of minutes. She had never thought that she would meet him of all people in Madrid. Since their initial interaction two weeks ago, they have been spending all of their time together. As much as Spencer enjoyed their time together, there was a nagging thought in the back of her mind which she wasn't sure if she was ready to address.

 _Is it okay for me to be feeling this way about him? Especially considering our complicated past? And Hanna…_

Spencer didn't get too much time to mull over her reservations because they had arrived at their destination.

 _Retiro Park_

"Caleb…" Spencer said while simultaneously holding her breath because of her genuine surprise at where Caleb Rivers had brought her.

Laughing gently, Caleb helped Spencer over the gates before hopping over himself. They had made their way to the Monument of Alfonso XII, which had steps one could sit on with a small body of water in front of it. Sitting down with their bottles of Sangria, Caleb and Spencer had just sat and overlooked the park in a comfortable silence as the sun started to rise.

The way the sun's fluorescent rays gently cascaded on the still water was a sight in itself. Spencer was touched that Caleb had thought to bring her here. Spencer mentioned it briefly to Caleb that she wanted to come to Retiro Park, but never had the opportunity due to being so busy with school.

But, one thing was still nagging at Spencer's mind.

"Caleb… I have a question for you."

Taking his eyes off the beautiful sunset, Caleb looked at Spencer with nothing but sincerity in his eyes. Spencer's heart flipped and she almost faltered due to the look Caleb gave her, but she pushed through her feelings because she **needed** to know the answer to her question.

"Caleb… what happened with you and Hanna? You haven't really talked about her much and every time I mention her name you either stutter or change the topic completely…" Spencer asked carefully.

Sighing sadly, Caleb turned away from Spencer and looked back out at the park. Caleb had been avoiding talking about Hanna the entire time he was with Spencer. He didn't want to be bogged down by the past… and he was still hurting from their break-up.

Noticing Caleb's hesitation, Spencer grabbed his hand and rubbed it gently.

"Caleb, its okay if you don't want to tell me. But, just know that you can always trust me."

"Thanks Spence. It isn't that I don't want to tell you. I just figured you'd feel weird about it, with Hanna being your best friend and all." Caleb responded.

Shaking her head, Spencer reassured Caleb that she wouldn't judge him for anything that he says about Hanna.

"Caleb. I trust you. And I hope that you will learn to trust me too. I won't feel weird about you talking about Hanna. You guys spent so many years together. It's okay to be hurt about what happened."

"Hmm. Thank you, Spencer. I'm sure you already know that Hanna and I had broken up."

"Broke up?! I just thought you guys were on a break or something. But, broke up? I'm so sorry, Caleb." Spencer said as she let go of Caleb's hand. Spencer felt even more conflicted than before. She didn't want to have feelings for her best friend's ex, nor did she want to come between them. But, feelings can be a powerful influencer.

"It's okay, Spence. It was bound to happen. We were having issues ever since we moved to New York. She had been dragging me to these unbearable fashion shows and I wanted to travel. Every time we made plans she ended up backing out of them and I felt like I wasn't a priority in her life anymore. So I gave her an ultimatum – either come with me to Europe, or we're done. And she chose her work. So I left everything behind and came here. To start fresh. But, I was avoiding my feelings because it was still so vivid in my mind. I-I feel better talking about it and getting it out there though. Thank you, Spencer."

Smiling tenderly, Spencer was happy that she finally understood Caleb's feelings about his relationship with Hanna. However, she also felt conflicted due to her own feelings for Caleb which she didn't fully understand yet. Spencer opted to just enjoy the Sangria and watch the rest of the sunrise with Caleb.

Her feelings could wait for another day.

So, in my last story I said I was going to make a Spencer and Caleb chapter for the Spaleb fans. After thinking about it, I would much rather just make a full blown story for them. My last story followed the plot much more closely than this one will. Anyways, I hope you enjoy J


	2. Chapter 2 - Washington

An Unexpected Relationship

Chapter 2 – Washington

Spencer Hastings had been swamped in paperwork. Phones ringing endlessly, politicians swarmed the office, there was a controlled disorganization.

 _Spencer felt right at home._

What made her secretly happy was that Caleb had followed her to Washington and decided to work for her mom's outfit. Spencer felt giddy inside, similar to a high school girl who got to work closely with her crush. It was silly and childish, but Spencer didn't care.

Caleb said that he came to Washington because he hadn't been in a while and he "had too much fun travelling with a Hastings to let the adventure end so soon." It wasn't quite the confession that Spencer had been hoping for, but for now, it sufficed. Caleb was a hard individual to read. While he could be very sweet and compassionate, he usually was somewhat guarded and rarely spoke about his emotions unless asked.

While thinking about more ways to possibly "get Caleb to open up," the object of her affections snuck up on her and slammed a file folder on the table, startling Spencer out of her thoughts.

"Caleb! You scared me!" Spencer said, playfully hitting Caleb on the arm.

"Sorry, Spence. But you were daydreaming on your break again so I couldn't resist." Caleb teased.

Giving him a playful pout, Spencer gestured for him to sit down and accompany her on her rather short break.

"How's the day going so far?" Caleb inquired, knowing that Spencer would be busying herself with trying to make her mom's campaign go smoothly.

"Well… my mom's campaign manager said that our valiant efforts with the campaign have resulted in a 5% increase in voter confidence." Spencer proudly responded.

"Woah, five percent. That's a pretty big increase. Better call Guinness for that World Record attempt."

Rolling her eyes, Spencer let out a sarcastic laugh before continuing to nibble at her muffin.

"Just kidding. You know Spencer, I'm amazed at how dedicated you are to your mom's election. It's almost inspirational." Caleb said in a moment of honesty.

Feeling her cheeks get red at Caleb's compliment, Spencer suddenly became very interested in the muffin sitting directly in front of her. She managed to utter a semi-convincing "thank-you" even though she knew her voice squeaked a lot more than she would have liked it to.

Spencer was really having a tough time reading Caleb. Usually, she would be able to understand people and their intentions within the first few days of interacting with them. But, with Caleb... it was different.

Caleb gave his trademark smile before bidding Spencer goodbye and taking off for the day to do some campaign work for Mrs. Hastings. Caleb wasn't in the office much, and when he was he was gathering intelligence on the competition, which meant that he was focused on his 14-inch Macbook and nothing else.

Scarfing down her muffin and throwing out the wrapper in the garbage bin beside the desk she was currently occupying, Spencer returned to the organized chaos that had been part of daily life for the last few weeks.

Finishing her day early, Spencer bid her mom goodbye before heading to her apartment. Whipping out her cell phone, Spencer checked her phone to see if there were any missed calls or texts. She always turned her cell phone on silent while she was in the office so she could focus better.

Spencer had received four texts – One from Aria asking how Washington was and slight details about a guy she had feelings for named Liam. Emily had also sent a picture of a funny meme she found on the internet. Spencer giggled and sent Emily a laughing emoji. Hanna had sent what appeared to be a group message about a new guy she was seeing. She made a mental note to not mention it to Caleb just yet.

The girls had drifted away from each other a little bit, but they still tried to keep in contact as often as they could. It could be assumed that after everything that had been happening to them in Rosewood, they needed some time to themselves to grow and figure everything out.

The last text Spencer received was from Caleb:

 _Hey. I need to talk to you. Nothing serious, just need a friend to talk to. You free tonight? – Caleb_

Spencer's heart dropped slightly at that text. She didn't know what he wanted to talk about and it had her somewhat concerned.

 _Yea. I got off early so I'm good whenever you are. – Spencer_

Putting her phone in her pocket, Spencer didn't have much time to think about what could be bothering Caleb before her phone buzzed again. Pulling it out of her pocket, she was met with another text from Caleb.

 _Cool. Wanna meet up around 8:30 at East Potomac Park? – Caleb_

 _"Potomac Park…"_ Spencer thought to herself. She wondered why Caleb wanted to meet over there. It seemed a little out of their way for a friendly conversation.

 _Yea I'm down! Why Potomac Park though? – Spencer_

 _You'll see. – Caleb_

Spencer reached her apartment after taking the obnoxiously long subway ride home. Hopping in the shower, Spencer played back the events of the day to see how she could improve for tomorrow. It was old habit that comes from her days in Rosewood when her biggest concern was not the stats surrounding an upcoming election, but a group of mysterious individuals sending all kinds of abuse her way.

Spencer always had to be on her toes.

While she was showering, she stopped to think about Caleb Rivers and her interaction with him today. His comments really threw her off. She wasn't expecting Caleb to say such endearing words to her. They usually have witty banter and silly conversations, but they don't talk about serious issues quite often. However, Caleb has been pivotal in helping Spencer deal with her occasional panic attacks and he is the person that she goes to after her therapy sessions when she just needs to talk.

Ever since Madrid, Caleb has been playing a bigger role in her life as a friend and someone who she can trust.

 _Spencer doesn't have many people like that in her life anymore._

Not known for being tardy, Spencer turned the hot water off and started to get ready to meet Caleb.

Spencer didn't want to be overdressed and uncomfortable as they were just going to the park. So Spencer opted for some denim blue jeans and a white v-neck which she had been meaning to wear for a while but never got the opportunity. She also threw on a grey cardigan just in case the weather took a dip and headed out the door.

Once Spencer got to the park, she was excited and a little nervous. She didn't know what to expect once she got there, but she hoped that everything was okay with Caleb. Caleb had told her to meet him by the bench that overlooked the river, so Spencer started in that direction. When she got to her destination, Caleb was already waiting for her. He smiled sweetly at Spencer before gesturing her over to the bench.

Spencer smiled sincerely back at Caleb before heading in his direction. She made herself comfortable on the bench next to him, suddenly feeling very self-aware of their body language. Maybe it was out of habit, or out of a certain comfort that they had developed with each other over the months, but it was the first Spencer ever felt aware of how **close** they had actually gotten.

"Thanks for coming, Spence." Caleb said.

"No problem. Are you okay, Caleb?" Spencer asked, concerned about Caleb.

"I guess so. I just needed someone to talk to. It's about Hanna."

Spencer's heart dropped again. She seriously thought she needed to go see a doctor because of how often this was happening to her.

"Hanna? Is she okay?"

"Yeah… she's okay. I-I just felt it was time that I actually got all my feelings out so I can move on. You've always been a great listener, so I figured it would make sense to talk to you about it. When we were in Madrid, and you asked about her, I just wasn't ready. It was still so fresh in my mind. But, you really helped ease my pain. I really enjoyed going on adventures with you, Spence." Caleb confessed.

"Caleb… You've been such a good friend to me these past few months. Everything that I've been through has been so much easier with you here. I don't think I could have managed all those therapy sessions and my mom's campaign without you."

"Spencer… you don't have to say that. I didn't do much."

"Seriously, Caleb? You've done so much! But, this isn't about me, this is about you and your relationship… with Hanna. So, why don't we talk about that?" Spencer said, with a twinge of sadness.

"Okay. Well when Hanna and I broke up, I was really devastated. I didn't know what to do. I had all these feelings that I couldn't properly express, so I ran away from them. I travelled and I travelled until I couldn't travel anymore. When I saw you that day in Madrid, I initially dreaded it because the one thing that I was running away from had come back in the most surprising of ways. But, with you it was different. You didn't ask me about Hanna even though I knew you could tell something was wrong. It was nice not feeling judged."

"Caleb…"

"Hmph. Anyways, during my time in Madrid… with you… I was able to come to terms with my relationship with Hanna. We were just two different people. I heard she's seeing some new guy now?" Caleb asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh-well-yeah… She sent me a text today saying that she met a new guy named Jordan in New York and that she really likes him." Spencer admitted.

"It's all good, Spence. You don't have to feel bad for not telling me. I know this situation is complicated, but thank you for listening. I feel much better knowing that someone else understands how I feel."

"I'm just glad you told me how you feel, Caleb. Sometimes, you are a bit of a hard book to read!" Spencer half-joked. She didn't want to take the focus off of Caleb, but right now, she was really happy that Caleb started to really open up to her.

"Yeah, I can be a bit tricky sometimes. My apologies." Caleb said with a smile.

"It's okay. I think I can forgive you. Maybe. Possibly. It's not looking too good." Spencer joked. Her and Caleb shared a laugh and just sat on the bench, enjoying the company.

While they were looking out at the river, the moon had made an appearance. They were so consumed in their conversation that they didn't notice the sun-setting and the moon rising. Whether it was a reflex, or a habit she hadn't noticed, Spencer found her hand over top Caleb's, squeezing it gently for reassurance.

Caleb felt Spencer's hand over his, and he smiled at the gesture. Whenever she was in a tough or serious situation and Caleb was around, she would always end up doing that. At first, he was a little confused by the gesture, but he never said anything. Eventually, he found it endearing – it gave him a sense of comfort.

"So what about you, Spence?"

"What about me, Caleb?" Spencer said with a smile.

"Well, ever since your relationship with Toby ended, you never really talked about having any other romantic interests."

"Ah-um-well it's a little complicated."

"You like Paul, don't you?" Caleb surmised, voice raising in excitement as he _thought_ he guessed correctly.

Shaking her head, Spencer was quick to dispel that thought.

"Paul?! The guy with the Harry Potter glasses who doesn't really talk to anyone? Good one."

"I kid. But, do you have feelings for anyone?" Caleb asked genuinely this time around.

Taking a deep breath and unintentionally squeezing Caleb's hand a little harder, Spencer answered his question in the best way she thought possible:

"I do, but, it is a little trickier than I thought it would be. And, I'm not even sure if he likes me."

"I'm sure he does. What's not to like. You're a fantastic person, Spence. You're smart – really smart, independent, confident, and some would say even beautiful. Whoever this _mysterious guy_ is should realize how amazing you are."

Blusing intensely, Spencer couldn't help but feel incredibly giddy that the man of her affections had basically admitted to thinking that she was amazing. Turning her gaze to Caleb, she just smiled at him.

"I hope so too."

Smiling at each other, Spencer and Caleb spent the rest of the night talking under the moonlight, happy just to be with each other.

A/N:

Hey guys! Thanks for leaving the reviews and I'm glad that there are some Spencer x Caleb fans out there! We seem to be a small minority out here. Anyways, I hope that you guys are enjoying the story. If you have any ideas that you want me to write about, let me know. I'll be sure to include them in the story as we go along. Also, be prepared to be around for a while. I have a feeling that this story is going to be a rather long one. :D

\- I.A.


	3. Chapter 3 - Rosewood: Part 1

An Unexpected Relationship

Chapter 3 – Rosewood – Part 1

If there was any place that felt more bittersweet to be than Rosewood, Spencer wouldn't know it. In the years that she had spent there, grown up there, had her life threatened many times, she still held a weird fondness for it. If it were up to Spencer, she wouldn't come back to Rosewood unless she really had to, which is why she found herself back at her old house staying in the barn.

Melissa had been travelling to different states to campaign for their mother, which meant that Spencer would stay in the barn. It was a nice way to escape the craziness of the political world. Since Spencer had some down time before she had to get "back in action" she flipped on her phone to see two texts from Caleb.

 _Hey. Hope you make it to Rosewood just fine. Washington isn't quite the same without my daily dose of Spencer Jill Hastings ;) – Caleb (6:42 pm)_

 _Spencerrrr! Did you make it to Rosewood okay? – Caleb (9:42 pm)_

Giggling lightly, Spencer sent a text back to Caleb, letting him know that he was okay among other things.

 _Caleb! You know you can't call me "Jill." :( . But yes, I did make it to Rosewood just fine. It's kind of eerie being here again. Like going back to a place that caused me so much pain… It's weird. – Spencer Hastings (10:43 pm)_

Sitting down on her bed, Spencer waited for Caleb's reply while mindlessly going through some of her social media on her laptop.

Hearing her ringtone go off, Spencer reached for her phone and saw that Caleb had texted her back.

 _Haha the real question is what are you going to do about it, Spence? I'm glad you made it back to Rosewood safely though. Anyways, now that I know you're safe and sound, I'm going to go to bed. Don't work too hard! – Caleb (10:50 pm)_

 _Ooh is that a challenge I hear, Mr. Rivers? Those sound like fighting words. :p Thanks for checking up on me. I really appreciate it. Night Caleb. :D – Spencer (10:53 pm)_

Throwing her phone back on the bed, Spencer spent a few more minutes on her social media before heading back into her house, which was now the "Hastings Campaign Office" to see if she could help her mother in any other way before she decided to call it a night.

Nightmares were unfortunately an event that occurred more often than Spencer would have liked. After being chased, stalked, threatened, and kidnapped, it is surprising that Spencer can still be a functioning, capable adult.

 _Well, at least most of the time she is._

It was nights like these that she would dread. Ever since their kidnapping all those years ago, Spencer has not been able to sleep without some sort of night light or music in the background.

 ** _The quiet is what scares her the most._**

It was on nights like these that she would call Caleb, and he would come over to her place and they would watch late-night infomercials and other sub-par programming until she fell asleep. Usually, when she woke up, he was there. He always had a cup of coffee prepared and she was always so grateful.

So when she was thrown out of her sleep, drenched in sweat, with no one to come to her rescue… it almost paralyzed her. Until she remembered that _he_ has a phone. Diving for her phone, Spencer knocked over her laptop while scrambling to find Caleb's number. Hopping out of bed, Spencer found his phone and called him while making her way to the kitchen to find her "comfort food."

The phone had rang four times while Spencer's heart rate increased rapidly after every ring. It had never occurred to her that he might not actually answer. Caleb was always very reliable.

 _She never missed him as much as she did in this very moment._

Fortunately for Spencer, Caleb answered on the last ring before it went to voicemail.

 _"_ _H-Hello?"_ Caleb answered, yawning in the process.

 _"_ _Hi. It's me."_ Spencer responded.

 _"_ _I can see that. What's up? You having nightmares again?"_ Caleb said.

 _"_ _Yeah… I-I wish you were here."_ Spencer admitted. Normally, she would have blushed and cursed herself for confessing such things. But, in this moment, she just needed someone to be there for her.

 _"_ _Hmm… I wish I was too. Well how about this? Let's talk until you fall asleep."_

 _"_ _Sounds like a great idea."_ Spencer said.

And they talked about everything ranging from Caleb's daily life in Washington to Spencer's childhood nicknames, which Caleb took note of so he could bug her about it later. Right before Spencer was about to drift off, she remembered that Caleb had called her Jill and she wanted to say something about it.

 _"_ _Caleb! You can't call me Jill!"_ Spencer scolded.

" _I didn't think you were going to bring this up so soon."_ Caleb said, with a small laugh.

" _You should see the face I'm giving you right now. It's my 'I'm not impressed face.' I'm really scary, you know. You shouldn't mess with me."_

 _"_ _Oh you're right. You're a real threat. I should be careful."_

Rolling her eyes, Spencer and Caleb joked with each other for a few more minutes before drifting off to sleep.

Spencer awoke to find herself laying down on the couch in the barn feeling well-rested. She checked her phone to see a message from Caleb.

 _Hey Sleepy Head! Good morning. I hope you had a good sleep. P.S – Thanks for calling me. You know you can always come to me for anything. P.P.S – You snore, a lot :p. – Caleb (6:45 A.M.)_

Shaking her head at Caleb's message, Spencer sent one off quickly before hopping in the shower to get ready for the events of the day.

 _Thanks Caleb. I'm really glad that we're friends. You really helped me out yesterday. P.S. I DO NOT SNORE! :( - Spencer (8:00 A.M.)_

Spencer had been called back to Rosewood for a less than ideal situation. The person who supposedly harassed them all those years, Charlotte DiLaurentis, had been put on trial to see if she would be able to get out and be free again. To say that Spencer Hastings had not wanted to be here was a major understatement.

Spencer, along with Emily, Aria, Hanna, Allison, and Mona were all supposed to show up before the judge and give their reasons why they would feel safe with Charlotte out again, or not feel safe with her out and about.

When they went in to that courtroom, all of Spencer's fear, anger, and other suppressed feelings came rushing to the surface.

 ** _However, that's not why she was there._**

Spencer was there to defend Charlotte. She never thought she would see the day. It didn't make sense to her. How could Ali ask this of Spencer and the other girls? It was positively the most ironic situation that Spencer had been it. The irony almost killed her. Literally.

After the hearing, Charlotte had been let go. All had seemed well. From what Ali had said Charlotte had been doing very well, so they didn't need to worry. Spencer didn't understand how Ali could think that they didn't need to worry. Charlotte had trapped them in a larger-than-life doll-house and tortured the girls for what seemed like an eternity.

Loud sirens, sleepless nights, and helpless screams.

So, the irony came full circle when Charlotte had been murdered the night that she had been released. To say that it wasn't in typical Rosewood fashion would be dishonest of Spencer. Spencer knew that she shouldn't have come back to Rosewood. She missed her time in Madrid and Washington… Those adventures seemed so far away, even though only a few months have passed since her travels.

 **Nothing good ever comes out of staying in Rosewood for too long.**

Spencer needed an escape – a break from all the events that had occurred in the few _days_ that she had been back in the town that stole her youth away from her. So, she called the only person who she thought would be able to calm her down at a time like this.

 _Caleb Rivers._

They had talked for a while. Spencer had filled him in on the details of the events from the past few days. Caleb said he would be there as soon as he could. Heaving out a sigh, Spencer was relieved that Caleb was coming to help them.

 _It was about time that Spencer learned how to rely on other people when she needed them._

The following day, Spencer had met up with Caleb at the airport, and they spent some time catching up on the way back to Spencer's place. Even though the situation they were in was rather dire, Spencer couldn't help but be excited that Caleb had come to help them. He was the only one that could brighten up the bleakness of Rosewood.

Not having much time to spare, Caleb and Spencer quickly dropped off his bags at Spencer's before rushing over to _The Radley_ so Caleb could see if Hanna was doing well.

"Hey Spence, are you sure you don't want to come up with me?" Caleb asked as they were standing in the lobby of _The Radley."_

"Positive. You and Hanna have history between each other. I think it would be best if I hung out down here. Besides, hasn't it been a couple of years since you two saw each other? It might be best if you handle this alone."

Nodding in understanding, Caleb turned around and stalked towards the elevator, unsure of what the conversation with him and Hanna would entail.

Watching Caleb walk towards the elevator, Spencer hoped that the conversation between Caleb and Hanna would be civil. Spencer had begun to ponder how she arrived at this destination.

 _Hanna and Caleb had separated._

 _Her having_ _ **feelings**_ _for Caleb._

 _Spencer and Toby being separated._

It was strange the way Rosewood could bring up so many memories to the surface. After everything that had transpired in Rosewood during her youth, Spencer had spent so much time trying to cope with the events that she never came to terms with what had actually happened.

Spencer thought that was the role of the therapy, but it only served to keep her anxiety at bay. It didn't actually help solve it. And being back in Rosewood wasn't helping Spencer's deep-seated issues either. She had hoped that once the election was over she could be on the first plane with Caleb back to Washington.

Hearing the elevator open, Caleb Rivers had walked out of it with a confused look on his face. Spencer decided to walk towards him to see how things went with Hanna.

"How was it?" Spencer asked cautiously.

"Complicated." Caleb said with a slight nod.

"Yeah. That's why I wanted to stay down here." Spencer said, while shyly tilting her head.

"Thanks for calling me. I appreciate it." Caleb said sincerely.

"I'm really glad that you're here." Spencer said genuinely.

Smiling, Caleb let out a small breath and looked down while Spencer had averted her gaze as well to try and ignore the "butterflies" that had been bubbling between the two young adults.

"It's uh – kinda strange what they did to this place, huh?" Caleb said.

"Yeah. I think it's a cultural amnesia." Spencer responded while shrugging her shoulders in indifference.

"Yeah, well, people get do-overs, why shouldn't buildings?" Caleb pondered.

Spencer nodded in agreement and then followed Caleb out of the Radley in silence.

 _It was the start of a very beautiful relationship._

A/N: I know the ending wasn't entirely fantastic, but I'm just getting started. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. Share. R&R. And let me know your favourite part of this story so far.

\- I.A.


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